


A Mistake By The Cosmos

by ClearSkyBlue



Category: Monsta X (Band), No.MERCY (TV)
Genre: A Legit Dangerous Bromance lmao, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bromance, Cheating, Friendship, Heavy Drinking, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Infidelity, Kihohyuk bromance to the max, M/M, Metioned Changki, Past Hyungwonho, Side Story, Soulmates, almost nonexistent, but with a twist, low-key polyamory, very low-key
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 10:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10488243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClearSkyBlue/pseuds/ClearSkyBlue
Summary: “I think that we’re so used to Hoseok and Kihyun, that we forget who the real soul mates are.”In which Kihyun and Hoseok’s relationship makes Minhyuk believe that Destiny sometimes makes mistakes.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cursed by Destiny, Mocked by the Universe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9374309) by [ClearSkyBlue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClearSkyBlue/pseuds/ClearSkyBlue). 



> Hello, hello, hello, I'm back~!  
> And I kept my promise!  
> I was able to write a story for Cursed by Destiny, Mocked by the Universe.  
> It's a side story, not a sequel, so it can be read as a stand alone for all those who have not read the original. It is also 98% original from the original, meaning basically no scene overlaps with Cursed by Destiny, Mocked by the Universe.  
> More notes in the end, so for now, enjoy this story!

Minhyuk stared at Kihyun. Kihyun stared at the two cans of beer he was holding. Minhyuk put his half full can of beer down and went to open another can. After opening it, Minhyuk took a gulp from it, “well, I finally understand why you have two cans of beer opened.”

Kihyun chuckled, gulping down the content from one of the cans. “I’m fucking insane, aren’t I?” 

Minhyuk stared at Kihyun. That was a complicated thing to answer. Minhyuk could not call Kihyun insane; maybe uncommon, strange, out of the ordinary, but Kihyun was not insane. It was what he said that was fucking insane. 

_“I love him so much_  
...  
Just not the way I should.” 

Minhyuk could not remember hearing about it before. A soulmate not in love with their other half romantically. Unheard of. But just because it was unheard of did not mean that it was never heard of before. “I wouldn’t say insane, Kihyun,” Minhyuk simply answered. “Just… different…”

Kihyun groaned and ran a hand through his hair, “what the hell is wrong with me?”

“Are you sure you are not in love with him?” Minhyuk asked, almost dumbly.

Kihyun looked at him like he had asked a dumb, “how can I not be sure, Minhyuk? I look at him, and I don’t feel it. I thought I would as time went on, but I don’t!” He was worked up, confused, panting. “And I don’t get why I don’t…” He put his beer cans down and rubbed his eyes. 

Minhyuk stayed quiet, his lips pursed. “You do know I can’t tell you why,” he said bluntly. “I don’t know why.”

Kihyun sighed, “I know you don’t. I just needed to tell someone.” 

“Do you have any clue of why?” Minhyuk asked. Though he knew not why Kihyun felt the way he felt, he still wanted to help in some way, to help clarify at least. 

Kihyun looked up at Minhyuk, his eyes honest and vulnerable. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it when a familiar laugh reached their ears. Kihyun turn to look inside the apartment, in the direction the laugh originated from. Minhyuk did not turn to look. His eyes focused on Kihyun’s face. His soft eyes in search of the owner of that laugh, who hoped that they would find him near even though he was on the other side of the apartment. 

Those eyes were captivated.

Minhyuk finally understood. He had been captivated one before. 

“Kihyun,” Minhyuk called out to his friend. Kihyun snapped out of his trance to look at Minhyuk. “How do you feel about Hoseok?”

Kihyun tilted his head, his eyes narrow in puzzlement, “what does that have to do with anything?”

Minhyuk could see that he was just trying to play stupid, like he could not comprehend why the question was asked, but Minhyuk had been friends with Kihyun for a long enough time. In his eyes, Minhyuk could see all the puzzle pieces starting to connect. It must be scary for Kihyun. It was scary for Minhyuk even. 

No one wanted to go through that, to feel different in something everyone felt almost the same. Soulmatehood was a something that united the entire human race. Everyone had to experience it. Soulmates saw each other and saw colors in each other first. They then came together naturally and fell in love. No one had ever heard of a soulmate not having feeling for their soulmate. No one had ever heard of a soulmate having feelings for someone who was not their soulmate. 

Yet, here Kihyun and Minhyuk were, and Minhyuk could see right through Kihyun’s face. 

Kihyun slowly shook his head, in complete denial, “no, there is no way.”

“Is there no way, really?” Minhyuk was not sure where he was going with this, but if it got Kihyun to realize something he did not know before, then he was doing something right. 

“There could not possibly be…” Kihyun gulped. “Oh gosh,” he said before chugging down one of his beer cans. “But Changkyun…” 

But Changkyun… but poor, young Changkyun… he was a nice kid, as far as Minhyuk could tell. He cared deeply for Kihyun, and that was most important. Kihyun liked to describe Changkyun as the perfect soulmate since the young man liked to put Kihyun’s needs above his own and he always strived to make Kihyun happy, but now Minhyuk saw the facade. Just because someone was perfect for you did not mean that you were going to fall for them even when literally most people would. 

Hoseok busted through the balcony door, interrupting the intense staring contest Minhyuk and Kihyun were having (sure, it was not a staring contest. It was just the both of them staring at each hoping to portray what they wanted to say since they could not find the right words to say it. At least, Minhyuk thought that was what Kihyun was trying to do. Minhyuk had nothing to say and was really thinking of a song and of how drunk he would get if he kept drinking the beer). Kihyun instantly looked at Hoseok in alarm. Hoseok looked at Kihyun was a smile on his drunk face before turning to Minhyuk. “Come one, let’s go! Hyunwoo’s back, and he brought our favorites,” he lifted his can of their favorite alcoholic brand since college. Wow, it really did tempt Minhyuk to go back into the apartment, but Kihyun came first, unfortunately. When Minhyuk turned Kihyun, Kihyun was already standing up to go back inside. 

Alrighty then, Minhyuk assumed the conversation was over. 

“Oh, Kihyun,” Hoseok said, looking back at Kihyun. Kihyun made a noise saying that he was listening. “Changkyun left. Something came up, I think. It’s okay! I’m in charge of you now,” he winked. 

Kihyun glared at him and looked away, “I should call him then, to make sure he’s okay.” Minhyuk could clearly see his pink cheeks. 

Oh dear, Minhyuk could really see things coming together. 

And it was all making sense, too. 

The three of them headed back to the main room of the apartment. Minhyuk made a beeline to Hyunwoo and gave the man a welcome back kiss (even if he was gone for less than an hour). “What did you get, honey?” Minhyuk leaned against Hyunwoo’s broad chest totally because of the effect of the alcohol consumed with Kihyun. 

Hyunwoo pointed at the kitchen counter, filled with a gamut of alcohol. “Yes!” Kwangji appeared out of nowhere. Minhyuk was not paying attention to anyone or anything but his beloved soulmate. “This is why Minhyuk’s parties are always the best,” he said as he approached the counter to pour himself a drink. Minhyuk smiled and gave Kwangji a thumbs up as a thanks for the complement. It was all because of Hyunwoo really. It only took a special kind of guy to run out in the middle of the night to buy more alcohol just because his soulmate with his dumb friends drank it all up and demanded for more. 

“Minhyuk,” Hyunwoo poked Minhyuk’s arm to get Minhyuk’s attention. 

“Yes?” Minhyuk looked up at Hyunwoo. 

Hyunwoo unattached himself from Minhyuk and went to the kitchen counter. For one of the bags, he took out a small box and showed it to Minhyuk. “The store was selling some alcoholic pocky. How cool is that,” Hyunwoo turned to look at the box himself. It was humorously shaped like a fancy alcohol bottle covering. “I didn’t even know they sold this,” Hyunwoo muttered. 

Minhyuk walked up to Hyunwoo and grabbed the box, “that’s funny.” He smiled and laughed as he looked at the box. 

Kwangji, who overheard their conversation, walked up to them and looked at the box, “wow, that’s so cool.” He laughed, “we should play a game with it.” Kwangji was a loud drunk, meaning that all he said was overheard by the party goers, who were standing around the living room. 

“With what?” Kihyun asked. 

“I want to play a game!” Hoseok grinned.

“Yeah, let’s make this night interesting!” Seokwon raised his cup. 

Minhyuk could not say not to his friends, even if he was planning on eating the pocky alone with Hyunwoo. “Alright, alright, it’s,” Minhyuk looked at the box to read the label, “whiskey-flavored pocky! What can we play with it?” 

“Duh!” Gunhee came around Minhyuk and wrapped his arm around Minhyuk’s shoulders. He smirked, “the most common game of it.”

“Ooh, I like the sound of that,” Minkyun smiled. 

Minhyuk shrugged, “we’re all friends here, so why not?” He looked at Hyunwoo, “right?” 

Hyunwoo placed his hands on Minhyuk’s shoulders, pushing Gunhee away, “I don’t mind.”

“I want to do it with Hyunwoo,” Minhyuk declared loudly. If he did it with Hyunwoo, he would so win. 

“No, no,” Seokwon yelled from his place on the couch. “Soulmates are not to be together. That makes it too easy for them,” he took a gulp from his cup. “No soulmates allowed. I’m sure neither of you would care. It’s just a game.” 

“Well, my soulmate left, so it doesn’t matter to me,” Kihyun grumbled. 

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Seokwon said in a singsong voice. He was mischievous when drunk.

Minhyuk sighed. There went his plan. He behind him at Hyunwoo, “it really is just a game.” 

Hyunwoo hummed and nodded, “it’s fine.” He kissed Minhyuk’s cheek before walking to the living room. 

“Okay, so,” Minhyuk clapped his hands together, “how are we playing it?” 

The rules of the game were then set. They were simple. The game would be played like Spin-the-Bottle. The group would all sit around a circle. The person who spun the bottle and the person the tip of the bottle pointed at would play the pocky game. Whoever broke the pocky would have to take a shot of distilled soju (bless Hyunwoo for knowing the ways to get hard liquor), and if they could not agree on who broke the pocky, they would both have to take it. If no one broke the pocky, then congratulations to them; they got a clap. 

“This game really is not that hard,” Minhyuk said as he sat down on the floor next to Hyunwoo. 

“Not for you,” Yoonho countered. “Any of you, really,” he pointed a finger at Minhyuk, Hoseok, and Kihyun. “You guys and your questionable friendships.” 

“Questionable friendships?!” Minhyuk put a hand on his chest and pretended to be offended. “I will let you know,” Hoseok was sitting next to him, so Minhyuk scooted closer to him and wrapped his arms around him, resting his legs on his thighs, “there’s nothing questionable about this friendship.” He rested his head on Hoseok’s shoulder and fluttered his eyes. 

Hoseok covered his mouth, laughing. “What in the world are you doing?” He asked between laughs. 

“Wow,” Seokwon shook his head, “and right in front of Hyunwoo?” He addressed Hyunwoo, “How do you even deal with him, bro?” 

Hyunwoo sighed, “You kinda just have to.”

“Hyunwoo is my one and only,” MInhyuk declared before kissing Hoseok’s cheek and scooting away back to Hyunwoo, giving his soulmate a tight hug. 

Gunhee looked at the drink, “I think the alcohol is really starting to take effect. Maybe we’ll all be kissing Hoseok by the end of the night.”

“Is that you guys’ goal?” Hoseok asked as he swung his drink high. 

“Like you would mind that,” Minhyuk said to Hoseok as he gave Kihyun a half a second glance. 

“Okay, who’s starting?” Gunhee slammed his hands against the ground. 

“I will!” Minhyuk raised his hand before crawling forward and spinning the bottle. It pointed at Jooheon. “Oh, the new guy,” Minhyuk smirked. Jooheon was a friend Changkyun had brought with him, and he was still here even though his friend left. How interesting… Minhyuk was honored to know that his party was good enough for a stranger to have stayed behind. 

“Wow, the one person Minhyuk has not have the honor to flirt with,” Minkyun snickered. 

“Correction,” Minhyuk raised his index finger, “the one person who has not had the honor to have been flirted on by me.”

“Don’t think too highly of yourself, Minhyuk,” Kihyun yelled from the other side of the circle.

“Shut up, Kihyun. No one asked for your opinion,” Minhyuk pointed at Kihyun. Kihyun blew him a kiss. Minhyuk ignored him and pointed at Jooheon, “Now, you.” He smirked again, “better pucker up, pretty boy, because I don’t lose.”

In the end, Jooheon lost being just millimeters away from Minhyuk’s face. Minhyuk did not care. He did not lose. That was the only point. Next, it was Jooheon and Minkyun, and Minkyun actually lost that round. He then lost the other round he had with Yoosu. Minkyun could not hold his alcohol well, so there was a significant difference in how he was before he took those shots and how he was afterwards. Minhyuk could not remember someone else being that affected that quickly. The rounds continued and laughs were exchanged when the poor victim took the shot of almost pure alcohol. Seokwon and Yoonho could not agree on who broke the pocky, and they both had to take a shot of alcohol. Hyunwoo was the one who ended up breaking the stick when his turn came. Seokwon and Yoonho were calling him weak, which they had no right to say considering their stick broke. Minhyuk defended Hyunwoo by saying that Hyunwoo could not bare the thought of being close to another man who was not his soulmate so he broke the stick. Everyone rolled their eyes, and Yoonho pretended to vomit. 

Hoseok’s turn to spin came. Everyone was distracted by the conversations going on around them, but when the bottle landed on Kihyun, everyone quieted down. “Painfully easy,” Minhyuk heard Seokwon whisper to Yoonho. 

Hoseok grabbed one of the last remaining pocky sticks. “Do you really want to?” It was a strange question to ask, but then Minhyuk remembered that Kihyun had a soulmate, and that soulmate was not here, and he was completely unaware that Kihyun was participating in this. Minhyuk felt something in him telling him to encourage Kihyun to pass and just take the shot. However, his brain was hazy from all the cups he had drank. Plus, Hyunwoo was currently trailing his finger in a ghostly manner around Minhyuk’s lower back, and it was not helping him concentrate at all. 

“Yeah, it’s just a game,” Kihyun nodded. Maybe he had had too much to drink, too. Hoseok crawled to Kihyun and sat down in front of him. He put one end of the stick in his mouth and leaned forward. Kihyun took deep breathes before biting the other end. 

Both looked at each other for a second before closing their eyes and biting on the pocky. Closer and closer they got to the middle, but they showed no signs of slowly down or hesitation. Minkyun actually started biting his nails in anxiety. In the end, they reached the center. Their lips touched. They froze; everyone in the room did. Minhyuk heard an “oh shit” from somewhere. They made it. They were the first ones to. Kihyun broke the kiss when he leaned back. His eyes were wide, his cheeks pink. No one but Minhyuk noticed that reaction, because they were too busy laughing and clapping and congratulating them for making it. 

Jooheon had sat there in shock. He shook his head and sighed, looking at his empty cup, “I’m not drunk enough for you people yet.” 

“Here,” Yoonho was in the kitchen pouring himself a drink with Seokwon, “I’ll serve you one.” Minhyuk clearly saw him pouring some of the shots in that death concoction. He said nothing though. 

Yoonho gave the drink to Jooheon, and Jooheon chugged it like there was no tomorrow before starting to cough. “What the hell?!” Jooheon looked up to see Seokwon, and Yoonho laughing. 

“You’re going to have to excuse them. They’re still college kids,” Minhyuk snickered. 

Kihyun abruptly stood up, “you’re going to have to excuse me.” He quickly walked away, leaving everyone in silence. Hoseok had still not moved to his originally spot. He had stayed in the very same spot he was when he was playing with Kihyun, leaning forwards, frozen, like a handsome statue. 

No one spoke for a few seconds, no one understanding the sudden interruption. Hoseok sighed before standing up, too. “Just give me a second. Keep going,” he left in the direction Kihyun had gone. 

No one moved for another moment. “Well then,” Minkyun reached for the box, “who’s taking Kihyun’s spot?” 

And then the game continued until no more pocky was left. 

Minhyuk leaned forward, resting his head on Hyunwoo’s shoulder. He moaned and groaned. “Is anyone drunk yet?” He yelled quite loudly, causing Hyunwoo to flinch. 

Minkyun had passed out in front of the couch. His arms were spread above him, and his legs were spread open, kind of like a starship. Yoonho was poking with a cup. “Minkyun is!” He yelled back afterwards. “No one else though,” he hiccuped, “I think.”

“Is this how your small get togethers normally go?” Jooheon was on ground at another part of the living room. He was barely clinging on to consciousness. 

“Yep,” Kwangji nodded. He had been leaning against the wall next to a fallen Jooheon. 

“Nice, I like it,” no one ever heard another word from Jooheon that night. 

Minhyuk looked around the room. “Where did Kihyun and Hoseok go?” He muttered to himself. 

“They left some time ago somewhere, a little before the game ended,” Hyunwoo explained to him. 

“Oh, yeah,” Minhyuk giggled, “I forgot.” He tried to lift himself up. “I’ll go look for them,” he said before tripping on his feet. Hyunwoo started laughing at him. Minhyuk smiled, “oops.” He stood up again and tried hard to maintain his balance. 

“Bring them back!” Hyunwoo yelled, and Minhyuk gave him a thumbs up. 

The only places Kihyun and Hoseok could have gone to for the time they have been gone were the master bedroom or the guest bedroom. The master bedroom’s door was wide open, and it showed no one in there, which only left one option for Minhyuk. 

The door to the guest bedroom was unlocked, so Minhyuk opened it with ease. Just like Minhyuk had thought, Kihyun and Hoseok were inside; Hoseok, with his right hand on Kihyun’s cheek and his left hand on Kihyun’s hip, and Kihyun, with one hand on Hoseok’s shoulder and the other holding Hoseok’s right triceps. In Minhyuk’s drunken state of mind, he failed to see the intimacy of the moment. 

“There you guys are!” Minhyuk grinned. “A second passed a long time ago, so we were worried about you.” 

“Right…” Kihyun said as Hoseok detached himself from him and took a few steps back. He sounded disappointed, but Minhyuk was not sober enough to determine. 

“Right,” Minhyuk leaned against the door. His wobbly posture caused the door to wobble, making him lose his balance again. Luckily, he was able to retain it before hitting the ground. He straightened up again, trying to act as if nothing happened. “Anyways, come back out. We’re waiting for you!” Minhyuk stepped back and walked back to the living room. 

Yoonho gave Minhyuk another cup when he saw him. Minhyuk gladly took it because he was not one to refuse a drink. He took a gulp of it and then addressed all his friends, “I’m so glad you are all having fun.” Minhyuk passed out before he ever saw Kihyun and Hoseok leave the guest room. 

Minhyuk woke up the next afternoon feeling like shit. He vowed to himself to never drink again and then laughed, because he knew he would never keep that vow. No one was in bed next to him, so that could be considered a good thing in some cases, or maybe Hyunwoo had woken up already. Minhyuk did not want to get up, but he already missed his soulmate, and he needed something to calm the headache.

Minhyuk stood up, stretched, and went to the living room. He was surprised to not find anyone still passed out. All there was out were plastic cups and empty bottles. Hyunwoo will clean them soon enough. Talking about Hyunwoo, the man had his keys on hand and standing in front of the door. He was probably going to leave had it not been for Minhyuk showing up. Kihyun and Hoseok were also here. Kihyun was sitting on the couch with his feet up while Hoseok leaned back against the kitchen counter; both were holding cups of coffee. 

“Minhyuk, good morning,” Hyunwoo walked to Minhyuk and gave him a hug and a kiss on the temple. 

“Hm,” Minhyuk smiled, “I feel like shit.”

“I would guess,” Hyunwoo stepped back. “I wanted to make you your favorite breakfast, but we ran out of the ingredients, so I was going to go buy them now.”

“Aw, well aren’t you sweet?” Minhyuk grabbed Hyunwoo’s collar and kissed his cheek multiple times.

“Can you guys not?” Kihyun groaned from the couch and Hoseok chuckled. 

Minhyuk glared at Kihyun, because his headache was killing him and he wanted some quality time with his soulmate. “There’s cappuccino in the kitchen. Kihyun made it. Also, I can stay if you want me to. I can make you something else,” Hyunwoo said. 

“No, no, go. I want that breakfast,” Minhyuk patted Hyunwoo’s chest to send him his way. Hyunwoo nodded and gave Minhyuk another kiss before heading out. He had given out some instructions or something before leaving, but no one really listened to him. 

After Hyunwoo closed the door, Minhyuk turned to look at Hoseok and Kihyun. It was not uncommon for them to stay over, so Minhyuk was not surprised by their presence. “Good morning,” Hoseok waved from the kitchen. Kihyun waved from the couch. The circles under his eyes were dark, his hair messy. He looked ready to kill someone. 

“Morning,” Minhyuk answered back. He slowly walked to the kitchen. In the meantime, Hoseok turned to pour him cappuccino into a cup. He handed Minhyuk the cup when Minhyuk finally reached the kitchen. Minhyuk proceeded to lean against the kitchen counter next to Hoseok. “So I’m guessing everyone made it home safely.”

Hoseok nodded, “Hyunwoo called cabs for everyone. Don’t worry. He paid for none of them.” Minhyuk chuckled stupidly. The joke was not even funny, but Minhyuk did not care. “I have my car, so I did not want to take a cab home, and I might have refused to let Kihyun take a cab-”

“- So that’s why I’m still here,” Kihyun finished from the couch and took a sip from his cappuccino.

“Yeah,” Hoseok imitated the way Kihyun sipped his coffee. Kihyun glared at him. Minhyuk chuckled again. 

“I see,” Minhyuk nodded. 

They stayed silent for a few more minutes until Hoseok finished his cappuccino. Hoseok placed the cup on the sink, and he was going to leave it there but Kihyun screamed at him to clean it, so Hoseok did in fear. Afterwards, Hoseok grabbed his keys and clinked them together. The sound shrilled through the ears of Kihyun and Minhyuk, and they both cringed. “I’m going to leave now. I promised my mom I would visit her today,” Hoseok said. He turned to Kihyun, “do you want me to drop you off?” 

Kihyun stared at Hoseok and then at Minhyuk. He shook his head, “no, Minhyuk can drop me off later.”

Hoseok looked at Minhyuk and raised an eyebrow, “can you?”

Minhyuk looked at Kihyun. Kihyun almost never refused a ride from Hosek. “I can now.”

“Okay then,” Hoseok nodded slowly, obviously disappointed, “I’ll see you guys later then.” He waved and then disappeared through the door. 

Minhyuk walked to the couch and sat on the other end. He raised his feet and laid them on the center of the couch, intertwining them with Kihyun’s. “Okay, talk,” he said.

Kihyun chuckled, “you know me too well.” 

Minhyuk shrugged, “we’re basically one person. Now talk.”

Kihyun sighed, “you were right.” Minhyuk wanted to ask what he was right about. If it was something from last night, he barely remembered it. Minhyuk pretended that he did remember and hummed while nodding. “I do like him,” Kihyun sighed. 

Minhyuk eyes widened, and he remembered the conversation he had with Kihyun. “Oh,” he nodded. “Hoseok?”

“Yeah,” Kihyun let out defeatedly and shook his head in disbelief. 

“Oh, wow,” Minhyuk also shook his head in disbelief. Kihyun liked Hoseok. Minhyuk never expected for Kihyun to admit that so soon. “So you now believe you do like Hoseok. What are you going to do about it?”

Kihyun scoffed, “what can I do about it? Nothing.” He looked down and shook his head and sighed, “Changkyun is still my soulmate. There is nothing I can do about it.” He gulped, his fingers tapping the ceramic of his cup, “a-and that’s okay.” He nodded, “it’ll be okay.” He looked back at Minhyuk, “if you could get over Hoseok all those years ago, then I can get over him, too.” 

Minhyuk pursed his lips and said nothing, made no movements. He did not agree with Kihyun. Kihyun’s situation now is different from Minhyuk’s situation back then. Back then, Minhyuk was dumb and soulmateless. He knew nothing of love, so when he felt he had something stronger that friendship for Hoseok, he mistook it and it freaked him out. He ranted about it to Kihyun, who called him stupid and told him to get a grip of himself and reality. That situation was different from now. They all have their soulmates now. Minhyuk had Hyunwoo; Kihyun had Changkyun; Hoseok had Hyungwon, and though some situations were more complicated than others, the soulmates were still there, were still in the picture, some more than others. Minhyuk was stupid, and he realised it within the month. Kihyun, Minhyuk was sure that man has had feelings for Hoseok for more than a month. He has just started to realise them.

“Okay,” Minhyuk nodded. Not pursuing his feelings was the best thing Kihyun could do. Changkyun was his soulmate after all. “That doesn’t mean you can start ignoring Hoseok from now on until you get over your feelings!” Minhyuk pointed a finger at Kihyun. Kihyun laughed, throwing his head back. “I don’t want to see a drunk Hoseok here in the middle of the night crying to me about how you are not answering any of his messages or anything!” Minhyuk gave him the eye. 

Kihyun laughed louder, “don’t worry I won’t.” He waved his free hand. 

“Good,” Minhyuk would have crossed his arms had it not been for the mug he was holding, “because it has already happened once when you took your joke too far.” Minhyuk laughed louder before holding his head with his free hand and grumbling about his headache. 

Kihyun stayed in the apartment for a few more hours. He had breakfast with Minhyuk and Hyunwoo, and once all their headaches became more bearable, Minhyuk drove Kihyun to his home. 

Time did pass. The subject of Kihyun’s feelings for Hoseok was not brought often. Even when the group hanged out again, it was not an issue. Kihyun kept his promise, socialising with Hoseok as if nothing was wrong and Hoseok doing the same. There was some slight tension between themselves, but it was not something that was easily noticeable. At least, not noticeable enough for Changkyun to notice, Minhyuk hoped. 

Maybe Kihyun was going to get over Hoseok. Maybe it truly was nothing to worry about, and that it was all going to be okay. Minhyuk did not like to be proven wrong, but he would allow to be proven wrong in this subject. After all, who would want their friend to be suffering with feelings that are not conventional to standard society?

 

It was night time. Minhyuk was sitting calmly on the couch, wearing his fake glasses and reading a comic book. Hyunwoo had dared Minhyuk to read a book or something earlier that month, and Minhyuk had taken that challenge and picked a comic book. Hyunwoo never said what kind of book it had to be after all. 

His phone rang. It was vibrating, but it was still enough noise to break the silence that had taken over the apartment. Minhyuk had flinched. He slowly put the comic book down next to him and reached for his phone. He saw that it was Kihyun calling him. Minhyuk wondered why the heck Kihyun was calling him late at night, but he thought that maybe it was not anything too serious. Maybe he saw something dumb on television and needed to rant about how dumb it was. 

Minhyuk answered and placed the phone on his ear, “Hello?”

“Minhyuk!” Kihyun yelled a little too loudly. Minhyuk did not expect it since it was rare for Kihyun to scream at him over the phone instead of in person.

“Yes?” Minhyuk asked calmly, to keep the balance. 

Kihyun stayed quiet. All the phone picked up was his soft breathing. Minhyuk raised a brow, wondering why all the screaming earlier. Kihyun breathed in and out staggeredly. “I…” he started. Minhyuk wanted to encourage him to finish that sentence, but he knew he would do it in a way that would feel like an adult encouraging a child, and Minhyuk knew, that if he did that, Kihyun would go off topic and scold him for it. 

“I kissed him.”

Minhyuk blinked slowly. Kissed who? Changkyun? That’s not important. Kihyun has done that hundreds of times. Hoseok? Oh dear. Kihyun did not keep his promise? “What?”

“I don’t know!” Kihyun yelled again. “He kissed me! And I let him! And then I kissed him, and I’m just- I don’t know!” He was a little panicky. 

Minhyuk took off his fake glasses and put them next to his book, “Hey, hey, Kihyun, relax. Breathe.” He stood up and went to the kitchen. All the way there, he heard Kihyun taking deep breaths. Minhyuk made a beeline to the fridge, because he knew this could be a long conversation. In the fridge, he took out a bottle of soju and effortlessly opened it, “now tell me what’s happening. Start from the beginning.” Minhyuk took a gulp from the bottle. 

Kihyun sighed, “I was out with Hoseok today.”

Ah, so it was Hoseok… “And you didn’t invite me?” Minhyuk joked.

“Minhyuk…” Kihyun said in a ‘don’t start now’ tone. 

Minhyuk chuckled, “keep going.” 

“By the end of it, he was dropping me off back at my apartment. We spend a few minutes just in his car talking and well,” Kihyun’s voice stopped, unsure of how to word the next part. “The conversation turned serious. About what is really going on between us.”

Minhyuk hummed, “I never expected you to actually have that conversation.”

“Neither did I. I did not think it was necessary,” Kihyun said. Minhyuk was about to counter that, about to say that the conversation was necessary, because ever since that game of pocky, their relationship had been tense. Anyone, even if they did not know Kihyun and Hoseok, would know that there was tension surrounding; Kihyun just liked to act as if he did not notice that tension. However, Kihyun continued his narrative, “and I tried to. I tried to say that our relationship was still the same, that nothing has changed or will change, but I could not bring myself to explicitly state that.”

“And then he kissed you?” Minhyuk did not quite understand how they got from point A to point K, but he had a feeling Kihyun was not going to explain with every detail spilled. 

Kihyun made an affirmative noise, “and I did nothing to stop him.” There was a pause, a silence between the two sides of the phone. “And then I pulled him back for another one,” Kihyun said in a soft, quiet voice, like he had just realised what he had done. “What the hell is wrong with me?” he groaned. 

Minhyuk had a quarter of the soju finished by the time Kihyun was done telling the events. “Oh, my…” Minhyuk placed the bottle on the kitchen counter and ran a hand through his hair. “That’s an issue indeed,” he muttered. He realised then how big of an issue it was when Kihyun did not answer him with a snarky comment. “Kihyun…” Minhyuk called for his best friend softly. He gulped, unsure if he should sugarcoat it or say it frankly, “you do know it’s not right, right?” Kihyun repeatedly answered him that he knew, he knew, but what could he do about it? “I don’t know what you could do, Kihyun. Changkyun is your soulmate, not Hoseok.” Kihyun groaned; his breathing quickened. He was nervous, panicky. “Kihyun, where are you right now?” Minhyuk asked. 

“At my apartment,” Kihyun answered. 

Minhyuk took a gulp of soju and put the bottle on the counter. He then grabbed his car keys. “I’m on my way,” he said and hanged up the phone. Minhyuk had never been more relieved to have Kihyun living only ten minutes away, which meant that he could be there in two minutes if he went just a tad bit over the speed limit. In little to no time, Minhyuk was sitting on Kihyun’s bed, under a blanket, with hot chocolate he prepared in five minutes. 

“I don’t understand why we’re like this,” Kihyun muttered, tapping the ceramic mug he was holding with his index finger. 

“I heard it help people calm down,” Minhyuk explained and blew on his hot chocolate to cool it down.

Kihyun nodded, “Okay, the hot chocolate.” He brought the mug closer to himself, letting the steam hit his face. “But the blanket…” He looked up.

“It’s fun, okay?” Minhyuk glared at him. Kihyun smiled for a second but then it disappeared, and he ended up staring at his cup dolefully. Minhyuk frowned. He hated to see his friend sad, which was why he was here. “Back to the topic at hand,” he started. Kihyun sighed, his shoulders slumping more they already were. “Like I told you before,” Minhyuk blew on his hot chocolate. He really wanted to drink it, but it was still too hot. “It’s not right,” he shook his head. 

“I know,” Kihyun blew on his mug and then took a gulp. The hot chocolate was still scolding, so it burn his tongue. “Argh,” Kihyun hissed and stuck his now red tongue out.

“Be careful,” Minhyuk lowered Kihyun’s mug and sighed, “look, so you tried to keep Hoseok at a distance, but that obviously did not work.” Minhyuk carefully put his put next to him and hoped movement would not make it spill. He gently put his hands on Kihyun’s upper arms and moved them up and down, “maybe you need to try something else, like stayi-” His eyes widened and his arms froze. No, never mind, no. That could not happen.

Kihyun looked at him intently, “Are you trying to suggest for me to stay away from Hoseok?” Minhyuk stared at Kihyun, because yes, he was about to suggest that, but no, he did not end up suggesting it. Kihyun shook his head, slowly at first but then quickly, “no, no, I can’t do that. Are you crazy? That’s impossible. That would hurt Hoseok so much. It would hurt me.” He started motioning to Minhyuk and himself, “it would hurt us!” 

Minhyuk shook his head, “no, no, I didn’t suggest that.” He leaned forward carefully to not spill the mug and wrapped Kihyun in a hug, “I wouldn’t suggest that. That’s crazy.” Kihyun trying to alienate himself from Hoseok would cause a break in their friend group, leaving Minhyuk in the middle, pulled between two sides. He did not want that. It would make all of them suffer instead of fixing the problem. 

Kihyun’s breathing staggered and he whispered, “then why-?”

“Look, Kihyun,” Minhyuk interrupted him and patted the back of his head, “just do what you think is right. Try and fix it your own way. You know I will be there for you and for Hoseok the entire way, okay?” Minhyuk felt Kihyun slowly nod, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He let Kihyun go and smiled, “that’s good.” 

Hopefully, the topic could now just drop since Minhyuk did not want to be part of it any longer. Kihyun smiled at him and took a sip of his hot chocolate. Minhyuk grabbed his own mug and took a sip of his own. They looked at each other and chuckled. 

Minhyuk fell asleep next to Kihyun that night after leaving Hyunwoo a message saying that he would spend the night over at Kihyun’s. While lying next to Kihyun’s body, Minhyuk had wondered what kind of chaos was going to come their way. The road ahead could possibly not be easy for Kihyun or Hoseok or Minhyuk himself since he was planning on trekking it with his friends. 

It would be hard for Changkyun, too. Very hard. So in love was that man with Kihyun, and he had absolutely no clue of what was happening when he was not around. It was unjust, for him to be kept in the dark, standing next to Kihyun, but as a soul mate, that was where he was meant to stand. Nothing could be done about that. 

The morning after, Minhyuk had been sitting on Kihyun’s couch waiting for the younger man to make breakfast when he received a message from Hoseok: “can we talk?” Minhyuk had sighed. Now Hoseok needed his counseling. It was to be expected. Minhyuk wrote back, telling to wait some time until he finished breakfast and then went back to waiting for Kihyun to be done and complaining because he was taking too long. Kihyun had already threatened to kick him out of the house seven times; Minhyuk had a record of ten, and he wanted to break it. 

He was able to, making it twelve times now. 

After breakfast, Minhyuk told Kihyun that he had some errands to run and he left straight to Hoseok’s apartment. Hoseok’s was one of his many homes, so after he greeted Hoseok with a hug, he took off his shoes, placed his keys on the key holder rack, and crashed on the couch. “You called?” Minhyuk asked once he settled on the couch quite comfortably, with his legs spread with open-- one leg on top of the back cushions and the other firm on the floor-- and his body leaning against the decorative cushions, one eyebrow raised suggestively. 

Hoseok rolled his eyes, already used to Minhyuk’s antics, “sure.” He walked to the couch and tapped the leg on top of the back cushions to tell Minhyuk to lower it; Minhyuk complied. He was almost brought back to his college days. Back when Hoseok, instead of telling him to put his legs down, would climb on top of him, smirking, leaning forward… Minhyuk frowned. He could almost feel the ghosts of Hoseok’s finger running down his neck. Almost. That feeling, that vision of Hoseok, was long ago replaced with Hyunwoo and his strong hands. Minhyuk wondered how was it that Changkyun never replaced Hoseok for Kihyun.

Hoseok sat down next to Minhyuk’s feet and took a deep breathe. “Talk to me,” Minhyuk said casually. Hoseok sighed and looked down. “Kihyun?” Minhyuk raised an eyebrow. 

Hoseok let out a sad chuckled and looked at Minhyuk, “how’d you know?”

“I’m your best friend, Hoseok. I _know_ you,” _and I totally was not just with Kihyun before this_. 

“Well, that’s true,” Hoseok nodded slowly and smiled. 

Minhyuk smiled back, “now, are we having this conversation over lunch or…?” Yes, he had literally just had breakfast with Kihyun, but Minhyuk thought that maybe he could take that lunch back home and enjoy with Hyunwoo. 

“Lunch?” Hoseok looked at his wristwatch, “it’s only eleven.” 

“Yes,” Minhyuk nodded, “but it will be twelve by the time the food gets here. Come one now.” He twisted his face sideways, showing a half smile that tended to win anybody’s heart. 

Hoseok sighed, “okay, okay, just give me a second.” He took his phone and went to the kitchen to order food. Literally, half an hour later, they were sitting on the dining table with Chinese takeout. Hoseok paid for it, because Minhyuk was conveniently in the bathroom when the delivery man appeared, like he always was. He promised Hoseok he would pay the next time, but he said that every single time. It was beyond Minhyuk on how Hoseok still had not caught on. 

“Okay, now is the perfect time to start,” Minhyuk said between bites of his noodles, “what is it about Kihyun?”

Hoseok chuckled sadly, “you make it sound like Kihyun is the problem…”

Minhyuk laughed, because he realized Hoseok was right, “that’d make things much simpler, wouldn’t it?” 

Hoseok nodded softly and looked down. He put his utensils down, obviously not in the mood for lunch yet. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t I?” 

“Doing what?” Minhyuk asked during slurps of noodles. 

“Well…” Hoseok frowned, eyebrows knitting together, “just… getting so close to Kihyun, touching him… kissing him… doing everything that, by the laws of the Universe, I should not be doing.” He groaned and rested his head on his hands.

Minhyuk wanted to laugh, but he kept it in, only letting out a half smile, “wow, you sound like you’re leading him astray, corrupting him.”

“Aren’t I in a way?” Hoseok asked. 

“No,” Minhyuk shook his head firmly. “I already did that years ago,” he said playfully and winked. Hoseok rolled his eyes, but at least he showed an amused smile. That lightened Minhyuk’s heart. “Look, Hoseok,” he softened his voice. Hoseok looked at him. “What are your feelings for Kihyun?” Minhyuk asked. 

“I don’t know,” Hoseok answered truthfully. “I just know that I really, really like him. I don’t know how much. I just know that it’s more than normal, more than I’ve liked another person before.”

 _More than you could’ve like Hyungwon?_ Minhyuk restrained himself from asking that question. “Then wait,” he said instead. Hoseok looked up at him, confused. “Wait for Kihyun to figure things out, to see what he is going to do. Remember that he’s the one with the soulmate right next to him,” Minhyuk carefully said that last sentence, uncertain on how it could still affect Hoseok. 

Hoseok stayed quiet. He furrowed his eyebrows at times and opened his mouth, as if he wanted to argue, but he never said anything. He ended up nodding, “okay, you’re right. I should wait…”

“You might get hurt, you know that?” Minhyuk asked. He knew Kihyun. He was sure Kihyun would do the right thing. Unfortunately, Kihyun doing the right thing would only hurt Hoseok.

“Eh,” Hoseok shrugged, a tiny smile tugging his lips. He was about to do a lame attempt on humour. “It doesn’t matter. I’m used to it already.” 

That was actually sadder than funny.

Kihyun did think things through over the past many of weeks. Minhyuk was not ready for what Kihyun revealed though. 

“We’re moving in together.”

It happened in Minhyuk’s apartment. The only ones present were Kihyun, Hoseok, Minhyuk, Hyunwoo, and Changkyun. When Kihyun had announced that, everyone had quieted down, almost as if they had heard wrong. Hoseok had been in the kitchen, throwing away the takeout they had ordered. He had literally frozen in front on the garbage can when Kihyun said those words. “Re-really?” Minhyuk broke the silence. 

Changhyuk nodded, humming. He had been sitting in an armchair with Kihyun sitting on the arm next to him. “He asked me,” Changkyun said, wrapping his arm around his soulmate’s hip. 

Hoseok slowly closed the trashcan. “Oh, really?” He asked with his back still facing the rest of the group. Minhyuk had sighed, because he saw it coming. 

“Yup,” Changkyun said loud and clear, as if he was trying to prove something. Was there tension there?

Hoseok slowly nodded. He walked to the fridge unhurriedly and took out a bottle of soju. He poured into a readily available shot glass Minhyuk liked to keep on the kitchen counter and finally turned to the group. He had a smile on his face, but it did not reach his eyes. He raised his glass. “Well, congratulations then,” Minhyuk thought that Hoseok was trying to sound cheerful, but really, he sounded neutral and maybe a bit bitter even. 

Minhyuk resisted the urge to laugh. Hyunwoo and him had been sitting together on the couch. Minhyuk pulled Hyunwoo close and whispered quietly enough so that Changkyun and Kihyun could not hear into his ear, “the passive aggressiveness is real.” Hyunwoo chuckled quietly. “I can’t let him go through this alone,” Minhyuk shook his head and padded Hyunwoo’s arm before raised his hand to call Hoseok’s attention. “Hoseok, give me one, too!” He said with a smile. Hoseok looked at him and nodded. 

Hyunwoo scoffed and whispered to Minhyuk, “oh, please, you only want a drink.”

Minhyuk faked being touched and placed a hand on his heart and twisted his head. “Aw, you know me so well,” he whispered, “this is why we’re soulmates.” Hyunwoo rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

Hoseok came to him with a shot glass and fave it to Minhyuk before pouring soju in it. Minhyuk thanked him and took a sip. “Can I have one, too?” Kihyun asked. 

Hoseok turned it him and nodded after a few seconds. He returned to the kitchen and grabbed another shot glass, giving it to Kihyun and pouring him soju, too. “Dang, what a great bartender we have today,” Minhyuk joked and Kihyun chuckled, but Hoseok did not react at all. Minhyuk frowned; that joke meant to make Hoseok smile. 

The conversation went on. Kihyun and Changkyun talked about what apartment they were planning on buying. They were staying in the area, much to Minhyuk’s relief. He would not want one of his best friends away. The longer the conversation went on, the more Minhyuk noticed how down Hoseok looked. This conversation had been dragging him down, slapping him on the face with every word. Minhyuk tried to deviate the conversation into some other topic, one that Hoseok could easily and cheerfully participate in, like puppies, but Changkyun and Kihyun started asking themselves if they should get a puppy for their apartment, and Minhyuk felt that made it worse for Hoseok. 

Changkyun looked at his phone. His eyes widened and he tapped Kihyun’s side, “hey, look at the time. We have to go.”

Kihyun leaned towards Changkyun to look at the time on his soulmate’s phone, “oh damn, true.” 

“Why do you guys have to go?” Minhyuk asked, out of habit more than anything else. He was lowkey glad they were leaving. Hoseok was on his third bottle of soju; anymore and he would cause a scene that could really ruin Changkyun and Kihyun’s relationship. Minhyuk should talk to Hoseok after Kihyun and Changkyun left.

“We’re going to see some apartments,” Kihyun answered as he walked to Minhyuk. He gave his best friend a hug and repeated the action with Hyunwoo. He turned to the kitchen where Hoseok was, pouring himself the last remains of the third bottle (Minhyuk was going to start charging him. That was his alcohol!), and waved goodbye, “bye, Hoseok.” Hoseok acknowledge the goodbye and nodded. Kihyun sighed, dejected. 

Changkyun also said his goodbye and then they both left. Minhyuk walked to the kitchen and grabbed another bottle of soju from the fridge. He walked to Hoseok and poured him some on his shot glass as he had already downed the remains on the third bottle. “How are you feeling?” Minhyuk asked as he poured himself a drink. 

“Like shit,” Hoseok answered bluntly, downing the soju again.

“Expected,” Minhyuk responded, taking a sip from his glass, “everything was expected honestly.”

Hoseok sighed, “it doesn’t stop it from hurting.”

Minhyuk patted his shoulder, “I know, friend. I know.”

 

Minhyuk was a freelance photographer. Companies and people sought him out to take photographs of anything they pleased, and they paid him pretty good sums of money for it. He was quite well-known for his work. His blog had hundreds of thousands of followers. The popularity and money was sometimes not enough to keep him afloat since weeks and month can sometimes (though not often) pass without him having a job offer. That was why he was lucky to have Hyunwoo. His more stable job as the editor in-chief of a well off magazine helped fill in the gaps of the expenses. 

Minhyuk smiled as he thought of when he first met Hyunwoo. It was while doing an internship with the magazine Hyunwoo worked at right after he had graduated from college. Minhyuk’s goal was to become that writer for that magazine and do investigative journalism, but with the meeting of Hyunwoo, Minhyuk’s goals completely changed back to the goals he had when he first entered college. Photography. He had wanted to earn a degree in photography, but it was a plight considering he could not differentiate colors at all (most who pursued photography had already acquired the ability to _see_ ), so he had changed it to journalism. With the ability to _see_ , Minhyuk went back to photography, quitting his internship and finally doing what he was gifted at. There had been absolutely no regrets. 

It was amusing really. Minhyuk had found his soulmate at an internship with a magazine after college, and Hoseok had found his soulmate at an internship with an entertainment business before graduating college. It was a very drama-like way of finding your soulmate, and it had turned well for Minhyuk, whose romance had been truly drama-like. The same could not be said for Hoseok, whose soul mate decided to leave him only after a month or so of knowing each other. Minhyuk was still angry about that even if it had happened years ago. 

Kihyun’s could be said to be very drama-like, too. It was not an internship in some entertainment company. A degree in finances did not get you that. It got you something much more boring. It was only a simple walk in the park. Kihyun rarely walked in the park, and the day he did, his soulmate appeared. It was meant to be beautiful, meant to be like a fairy tale, and yet here they were. Kihyun struggling to love his soulmate, and Hoseok struggling to not love his not soulmate. Minhyuk was the only one who Destiny was good to, and he was grateful of that, but it sucked seeing his best friends struggle. 

Kihyun was in the process of moving in with Changkyun while Hoseok was in the process of being moody and depressed, and Minhyuk was in the middle, unsure of what he should ever do. 

“Kihyun,” Minhyuk interrupted whatever Kihyun had been telling him (he was not listening anyways).

“What?” Kihyun asked. They were currently speaking through a video chat. Kihyun had taken a few photos and he wanted constructive criticism in them. Who was best at constructive criticism other than Minhyuk?

“Are you really planning on doing this?” Minhyuk asked. 

“Doing what?” Kihyun tilted his head. He blinked and started working on something in his computer. Minhyuk could not see what, considering they were chatting through the computer. “Um, I mean if that effect is not good or the photoshop is bad, I could change it. It’s not problem.”

“No,” Minhyuk shook his head, “I’m talking about moving in with Changkyun. Are you really going to do that?” 

Kihyun looked at the screen. Maybe he was trying to look at Minhyuk, but he was looking at the screen. He nodded, “yeah…”

“Is that a good idea?” Minhyuk asked, “I mean, are you still not in lo-?”

“I’m not,” Kihyun sighed and looked down, “but I hope to be. I hope living with Changkyun will…” he knitted his eyebrows together, looking for the right words, “awake feelings that need to be awaken.”

Minhyuk blinked but did not comment on that. He did not want to express his doubts to an already unstable Kihyun. He was sure it would not work. The huge majority of soul mates moved in together already in love, not with the hopes of falling in love. Something could easily not turn out right in that situation, but Minhyuk hoped for the best for Kihyun.

 

It almost seemed to work: Kihyun and Changkyun. Living together had brought them much closer. At the beginning, whenever Kihyun went to Minhyuk's humble abode, he would bring along Changkyun, which was a good sign. Even Hoseok seemed to be getting used to the fact that Changkyun was still Kihyun's soul mate and that he was meant to be alone. Hoseok’s words, not Minhyuk's. Minhyuk would slap him for saying that. On Minhyuk's watch, Hoseok would never be alone. Minhyuk would go to the length of canceling a date with Hyunwoo if Hoseok called him and said he was alone and needed attention. 

However, a shift back in Kihyun's behavior was seen, and once again, he started coming to Minhyuk's apartment (or anywhere they went, really) alone. He would use the excuse that Changkyun did not want to come with him, but that would not add up since Changkyun, to Minhyuk, seemed like the kind of soulmate who would be happy to go anywhere with his soulmate always. Minhyuk did not question it further. Nothing bad had been happening. Everything seemed to be going back to normal. Hoseok and Kihyun were losing the awkwardness that had been their companion for the past couple of weeks, and that relieved Minhyuk. 

“Guys, we should do something,” Kihyun said as he laid down in Minhyuk’s couch. 

“What do you suggest, Kihyun?” Minhyuk asked from the dining table, where he had been reading the third installment of that comic book series he had started as a dare. It was surprisingly good!

Kihyun lifted his phone. It was not even on. Minhyuk did not know if his friend was trying to show him something. “Seokwon is inviting us out for drinks. He apparently barely passed the final for Quantum Physics, meaning he won’t have to take class for the fourth time! He wants to celebrate that,” Kihyun explained. 

“Drinks?” Minhyuk checked his watch, “it’s nine at night.”

“Has that ever stopped you?” Kihyun rolled on his stomach and looked at Minhyuk. 

“You’re right. It hasn’t. I’ll tell Hyunwoo,” Minhyuk put down his unnecessary (according to Kihyun) glasses and called for Hyunwoo, who was somewhere else in the apartment. 

 

An hour later, they were at the club Seokwon had told everyone in the group chat to meet up at. Seokwon was apparently paying for everyone’s drink. Minhyuk did not know Seokwon could pull money out of his ass; he was sure that guy was drowning in student debts, but oh well, Minhyuk will not question it and will drink to his heart’s content. 

The night was going great. Minhyuk and Kihyun met with Hoseok the moment they saw their group of friends at the club and together they spent most of the night. Kihyun and Hoseok dared Minhyuk to drink five consecutive shots of the strongest drink the bar had, and Minhyuk laughed at their faces before doing it. He won nothing for it, but he just liked to show off (and he hated himself, because who would honestly do that?) and earn bragging rights. 

“So, Yoosu,” Minhyuk said in a singsong as he rested his head on his hand. His hand was weak though, so once it registered the weight of his head, it slowly lost strength and Minhyuk leaned down until his head touched the surface of the bar table. “How’s medical school?” Kihyun and Hoseok had abandoned him sometime ago, and he did not know where Hyunwoo was, so it was time to talk to his younger, baby friends. 

“Ugh,” Yoosu groaned as he swallowed a shot. 

“Yep,” Minhyuk nodded, head still resting on the table, “and that’s why I never wanted to become a doctor.”

“Yeah, neither did I,” Seokwon somehow cut in. 

Minhyuk moved his head to an awkward position just so he could get a better view of Seokwon. He knitted his eyebrows together and asked, “when did you get here?” He straightened up, “and why are you even talking? You’re majoring in Physics!” Minhyuk pointed at an accusing finger at him. 

Seokwon shrugged and then pointed a finger back, “Hey! I’ll let you know that Physics is a wonderful field that opens the door to many opportunities and-- woah, is that Kihyun and Hoseok?!” Seokwon gasped as he pointed his finger behind Minhyuk. 

Minhyuk sighed, relieved he did not have to hear Seokwon’s nerd talk, and turned around to look at where Seokwon had been pointing. “Oh, shit,” was all he had to say.

Kihyun had promised to let things work out with Changkyun, and Hoseok had promised to let Kihyun do just that and step back; however, everything they were doing now shattered those promises. They were in a club, yes. Loud, dance music was blaring from every speaker in the place. Everyone was moving to the rhythm close to each other, so it was no surprise that Hoseok and Kihyun got lost in that. What was surprising to everyone (though not as much, Minhyuk) was how Hoseok had his hands on Kihyun’s hips, both of them moving to the rhythm, Kihyun’s hands gripping Hoseok’s shirt, maybe even tugging him in for a kiss or maybe not. It did not matter, because Hoseok still leaned in and kissed Kihyun. Kihyun eagerly kissed back.

Minhyuk sighed. Whatever drink Seokwon had decided to drink while watching the spectacle was currently being spit out. Minhyuk would have minded and would have thrown a disgusting look at Seokwon, but he was too busy feeling…. He did not know, dissapointed? 

“Yeah, that’s them,” he turned back around to face Yoosu and Seokwon, careful not to place his hands on the now wet table. Yoosu’s face was comical. His eyes were wide open like his mouth was. In his hand, he held the empty shot glass, and his grip on it looked weak, like he was going to drop it. 

Seokwon’s reaction was more exaggerated. He was leaning forwards, one hand on Yoosu’s back and the other on the nasty table. His eyes were as wide open as his mouth. “What the hell?” He yelled over the music. “Doesn’t Kihyun have a-?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Minhyuk tapped his thigh. He swore he was in the brink of unconsciousness a minute ago, but Hoseok and Kihyun were sobering him up and he hated that. He needed another drink. “But he’s not in love,” he explained, “obviously.” 

Minhyuk should have expected it. Hoseok and Kihyun always gravitated towards each other, ever since the beginning, the time they first met, when Kihyun’s gaze lingered on Hoseok as he walked past them and Hoseok’s head turned to watch him go, completely ignoring Minhyuk, who had been muttering curses at Kihyun under his breath for so rudely interrupting them. Kihyun and Hoseok could never distance themselves from one another. It was even Hoseok’s idea to befriend Kihyun. He was the one who wanted to pursue him. Minhyuk wanted to do with Kihyun at the beginning, but his love for Hoseok made him go along with him. Something always pulled them back together. Minhyuk should have known that the distancing thing they were trying to pull these past few weeks would have never worked. Yet, it still surprised Minhyuk had easily it was for those two to come together and form a forbidden bond against Changkyun, against Hyungwon, against the laws of Destiny herself. 

Things just became much more complicated, and Minhyuk needed to receive an explanation from his two best friends as soon as possible or just soon as he did not need it now. What he needed to do was to stop the whole thing from blowing out of proportions, meaning keeping the mouths of his friends shut. He looked at Yoosu and Seokwon, who looked like statues watching whatever Kihyun and Hoseok were doing now, and said (or threatened), “you guys should not say a word about this, okay? It’s complicated.”

They nodded simultaneously. “You do know I’m telling Yoonho though, right?” Seokwon said. He snapped his finger and gritted his teeth, “dammit, I should’ve really made that bet.”

Minhyuk sighed, “I know you are, and what bet?”

“Remember when we played that pocky game at your apartment?” Minhyuk nodded. “Ever since then I knew something more was up with Kihyun and Hoseok. Something more, because we all always knew something was up. I told Yoonho that I thought that they could end up in some sort of relationship, but Yoonho said that I was crazy, because Kihyun had his soulmate by his side. Turns out I’m not so crazy, dammit!”

Minhyuk chuckled, bitterly, meaninglessly, “I guess they were always pretty obvious.”

“The most out of the three of you,” Seokwon said. 

Minhyuk nodded slowly. He turned around again to look at Kihyun and Hoseok but saw that the crowd had already swallowed them, so he just stared at the empty spot they had been at. “If you do tell Yoonho, tell him to keep his mouth shut, too.” He paused, “tell them all to keep their mouths shut, because you two are not just going to tell Yoonho.”

“Don’t worry. We love Kihyun,” Yoosu spoke, “we won’t defame him. There’s no reason to!”

Minhyuk nodded, relieved, “good.” He turned back around, “now pour me another drink!”

 

The next afternoon, Minhyuk had planned on walking around the city taking photographs for a commission he had gotten from a magazine. He almost decided to not do it, considering his head was pounding the next morning, but by the time the afternoon came, the hangover had subsided almost entirely. 

Kihyun also had an affinity for photography, so he always asked to come along with Minhyuk in odysseys like these. Today was no different. Kihyun came all the way to his apartment, and from there, the both of them headed out to walk and take photographs. 

Kihyun had been acting normal, as if he had not just made out with Hoseok the night before. He was not freaking out like he had the times before. He had a calm appearance and only complained of a bad hangover. It bothered Minhyuk. What made last night different from any other night? Did he already have his moment of panicking? If so, why did he not contact Minhyuk? Minhyuk tended to be the rock in moments of panic. He needed answers. 

After two hours of photo taking, they decided to rest in a sidewalk bench and examine each others photographs, which was really just Minhyuk giving Kihyun constructive criticism because Minhyuk was the professional here. Beautiful photographs were taken that day. Minhyuk fell in love with the photograph Kihyun took of the sun peeking through the side of a building, the sky around it orange and purple and the building dark. It was a perfect photograph for the project Minhyuk had, and Kihyun said he would give it to Minhyuk for a price that was up for deliberation. Minhyuk gladly accepted. 

After that, they both sat in silence, and Minhyuk considered it the best opportunity he had to confront Kihyun. “Kihyun,” Minhyuk shifted his body to look at Kihyun better.

“Yes?” Kihyun was not looking at him. He was looking through his camera instead.

“I saw you with Hoseok last night at the club,” Minhyuk said.

Kihyun stiffened, putting his camera down slowly. “Did you now?” He asked before clearing his throat.

Minhyuk nodded, “not only I, but also Yoosu and Seokwon. We all saw you two making out on the dance floor.” 

Kihyun let out a forced laughter, “what a way to put it.”

“Am I wrong though?” Minhyuk asked. 

Kihyun looked down, staying quiet, refusing to face Minhyuk. “I tried, Minhyuk. I really did. I promise you that, but I just,” he paused, biting his bottom lip, “can’t handle it anymore. I have to stop lying myself.” He straightened up and finally looked at Minhyuk.

“I’m not doubting that you tried, Kihyun,” Minhyuk said. “I’m just-” he was what? “Changkyun-”

“What about Changkyun?” Kihyun looked away. He cupped his mouth, resting his elbows on his knees, “what can I possibly do about Changkyun?” 

It was a rhetorical question. Kihyun was not expecting Minhyuk to answer, but Minhyuk still did, “Tell him.”

Kihyun looked at Minhyuk again, “tell him? Tell him what? That I’ve failed as his soulmate? That I’ve failed as a soulmate in general? That there must be something obviously wrong with me because I don’t love him the way I should?!” 

Kihyun was yelling by the end of it, catching the attention of passersby. Minhyuk wanted to smack him for raising his voice against his elder, but now was not the time or place; plus, they had stopped caring about formalities a long time ago. Instead, Minhyuk kept his mouth shut, because he had nothing to say. Kihyun was trying to make a point. There was a stigma around people that felt the same way Kihyun did. One was supposed to love their soulmate and only their soulmate. It was ordained by Destiny, by the cosmos. There was no coming around it. So if you did not love their soulmate, the most common reasoning was that there was something not right about you. In the past, people used to say that you must be cursed or a disgrace, and you were shunned. Though that did not happen anymore, people still looked down on those who did not love their soulmate or chose not to be with their soulmate. That was why Kihyun thought it ridiculous for Minhyuk to even suggest for Kihyun to tell Changkyun. That was why Hyungwon’s career could go down the drain if Hoseok decided to ever come out and say how Hyungwon decided to not be with him. It was social suicide. 

Minhyuk sighed and looked down, “right…” He pursed his lips together and looked back up, “it still doesn’t justify your actions.”

“I know it doesn’t,” Kihyun shook his head and sighed. He looked down at his camera, “but still, nothing can be done. Changkyun is my soulmate, and that’s that. Even if I tell him anything, it’s not going to change that fact.” 

“It’s still not right to keep him in the dark,” Minhyuk rested his head on top of the backrest of the bench.

Kihyun imitated him, “it’s not…” Their faces were close, but such intimacy was common between them. Kihyun sighed again, “maybe I should tell him something eventually…” Minhyuk nodded, agreeing one hundred percent. “I don’t think I can stay away from Hoseok until then though,” Kihyun mumbled. 

“No one is asking to stay away from Hoseok right now,” Minhyuk said. “I know you have feelings for Hoseok and,” _even though I don’t understand why or how_ , “I’m fine with it.” Minhyuk reached for Kihyun’s hand, “you know I promised both you and Hoseok that I’d be by you guys’ side no matter what.”

Kihyun chuckled, intertwining his fingers with Minhyuk’s, “you promised that a long time ago, back in college.”

“And the promise still stands,” Minhyuk smiled. He held Kihyun’s hand tightly, “I’m with you, Kihyun.” He returned to a more serious, but still playful, tone, “but you still have to promise you’re going to tell Changkyun.”

Kihyun nodded, “I’ll try.” 

And just like that, the subject was done. Kihyun had a relationship with Hoseok, promising to tell Changkyun. Ever since that day, Kihyun and Hoseok were not subtle with their relationship at all, quite the opposite actually. Once, at Minhyuk’s apartment, when Kihyun had been cooking (Kihyun liked to be the one cooking no matter whose home he was in), Hoseok had arrived and called his name as he ran towards him. Kihyun had turned his head to greet him, but he did not get a word out before Hoseok placed a hand behind Kihyun’s head and brought him forwards into a kiss. It could have been almost sweet and cute. Unfortunately, Seokwon and Yoonho, who were there for a monetary (monetary, not momentary. They had been asking Minhyuk for money) visit, had ruined the moment by fake gagging from the couch. Obviously, the two lovers did not care at all, as Kihyun had dropped everything he was carrying on the counter to kiss Hoseok back. 

There was another time where Kihyun was also cooking and helping Hyunwoo around in the kitchen and Hoseok had decided to cling to Kihyun. The older man had wrapped his arms around Kihyun’s waist and had rested his head on Kihyun’s shoulder. He muttered and whined to Kihyun, and Kihyun had patiently listened and answered back for only the first three seconds. Eventually, they started to playfully fight, and Minhyuk had been having a blast watching them from his place on the couch. After all, they looked ridiculous when they walked since Hoseok refused to detach himself from Kihyun even when Kihyun had to walk around. Eventually, Hyunwoo had gotten tired of the both of them and kicked them out of the kitchen. Kihyun complained and blamed Hoseok for it, even playfully hitting the older male, but then happily taking a place close to him in the couch. 

Watching them made Minhyuk’s heart swell. They looked so incredibly happy with each other, or at least, Minhyuk could not remember a recent moment when they were happier. It almost made Minhyuk forget that this was not right. 

Almost.

This was not right. Not yet, maybe not ever. Though Minhyuk seldom saw Changkyun, he knew the other man was still part of the picture. Kihyun had not come out to Changkyun. He had not yet said what he was feeling. Minhyuk asked Kihyun if he had finally done it almost every time they were together. Kihyun alway responded that he could not find the right time to. Minhyuk called bullshit at that. With situations like this, any time was the right time, but Minhyuk was not going to force Kihyun to do anything he did not feel was right yet, even if Kihyun’s perception of what was right might have been a little skewed. 

Minhyuk still trusted Kihyun to do what is right, or at least what is so somewhat right. He expected Kihyun to hold himself back on his whole affair with Hoseok until he released all the strings that tied him with Changkyun. All the strings he could at least, because the red strings of fate could never be detached, could never be cut, could never burn. However, Kihyun seemed to like to prove Minhyuk wrong nowadays. 

It had been as early morning. Minhyuk had stayed up late the night before with Hyunwoo, so he was dead tired. He expected, that in the early hours of the morning, when the sun was waking up, no one would even think of disturbing him. Things rarely happened during that time, so Minhyuk had happily been grasping the soft, white sheets on his bed and slowly, ever so slowly, waking up. He enjoyed these moments, when he was in between the dream world and the real world, where he felt like he was floating and that nothing wrong was happening in the world. These moments should not be broken, but that did not stop his phone from screeching out his ringtone and waking him up quicker than Hyunwoo would even if the apartment was burning down. 

Minhyuk groaned for a record time before blindly reaching for his phone on his nightstand. Once he grabbed it, he did not bother checking caller ID before answering the call. “What?” He greeted as he put the phone on his ear.

“I’m sorry for waking you up, ball of sunshine,” Kihyun came through the other line, laughing, “I just had something to tell you.”

Minhyuk stayed quiet for a few seconds, taking a longer time to process what he was being told. At least it was Kihyun. Minhyuk not feel bad about answering rudely once he was completely woken up. “Kihyun, you know better than anyone else to not call me so early,” he groaned.

“I know. I know,” Kihyun said, “but I have something to ask of you.”

“Kihyun, you know I’m always there to do anything for you, but I also have a schedule,” _and I’m booked to sleep right now_. 

Kihyun chuckled, “it’s simple, really. Hell, I even doubt it’s worth telling you.”

“Then, don’t. Goodbye,” Minhyuk did not even bother to reach again for his phone, which had been resting lazily against his ear. Kihyun yelled at him to not hang up in panic, and Minhyuk cringed because he still did not have the energy to pull his phone away. Gosh, was this how he himself sounded on the daily basis? Poor everyone else. “I won’t,” Minhyuk said after Kihyun finished, “what do you need?”

“Well,” Kihyun stretched that for longer than sleepy Minhyuk deemed necessary, “I was out with Hoseok last night, and I stayed over at his place, and when Changkyun called earlier, I told him I was at your place, so if for some reason, Changkyun reaches out to ask you, just tell him I was at your place.”

Kihyun spoke fast, paranoid. Minhyuk barely understood half of what he said, but he still nodded, “uh-huh, okay.”

Kihyun let out a sigh of relief, “okay, thank you. I’ll leave you be right now. Goodbye. I love you!”

“Love you, too…” Minhyuk said as he drifted back to sleep. He fell asleep with his phone still next to his ear and barely aware of what just happened. When he finally woke up a few hours later, Minhyuk barely had any recollection the call happened. He assumed it had been part of some weird dream, that Kihyun and Hoseok’s relationship was affecting him too much, so he dismissed it all. It was later that Minhyuk realised that that call indeed happened, and that Hoseok and Kihyun, with how thing were going with them, probably did not stay chaste during that night at all. 

Thinking back on it, if Changkyun had ever reached out to Minhyuk to ask him, Minhyuk would have said yes, Kihyun had stayed over at his place, even if Kihyun had not forewarned him about it. He loved Kihyun that much. He would do virtually anything for Kihyun. He _was_ doing virtually anything for him. Minhyuk did not agree with Kihyun’s relationship with Hoseok, but he was not condemning Kihyun for it. Kihyun had the right to do whatever the hell he wanted, just like Hoseok had. If Kihyun wanted to go behind his soulmate, so be it. If Hoseok was fine with Kihyun doing that, so be it. Minhyuk was still going to be by their side. It was his promise. 

 

For a while now, Minhyuk and Hyunwoo had been house hunting. Their apartment contract was due to expire in a few months, and Minhyuk was ready to look for a bigger space. If it was up to Hyunwoo, they would be apartment living for the rest of their lives, but Minhyuk had bigger dreams. He needed more spaces, like an office just for his work and more room to entertain, because it could easily get crowded in their small apartment. 

Luckily, after some time and lots of patience, a house appeared ten minutes away from their current apartment. It was everything Minhyuk needed (and Hyunwoo, too, because Minhyuk’s needs were Hyunwoo’s needs). Enough room for entertainment and everything photography and right on budget; plus, it was still so near Hoseok’s and Kihyun’s apartments, and proximity was really the most important thing in Minhyuk’s list, since there was no way he would ever move far away from his best friends. 

After putting an offer in, Minhyuk and Hyunwoo got the house and just in time, too. They wasted no time to move in, and soon enough, Minhyuk was living in his dream house with his dream man. This was a call for celebration. That was what Seokwon said. It had been a while since Minhyuk pulled one of his amazing parties disguised as get-togethers, and Seokwon had been asking for one for some time now, and when Minhyuk was called upon, he provided. 

Minhyuk made sure Kihyun brought along Changkyun; the reason being that Minhyuk wanted to invite Jooheon, and Jooheon was more willing to come if Changkyun came, and also that, if not, Jooheon would question why Changkyun was not there if Kihyun was, and he might even see Kihyun and Hoseok being as close as they truly were and tell Changkyun. It would be horrible if Changkyun found out about Kihyun and Hoseok’s relationship from a third person. Kihyun was the only one who should come out to Changkyun and no one else.

Those first hours of the night, Kihyun played the role of the perfect soulmate, and everyone around him played the supporting roles, because everyone, sans Changkyun and Jooheon, knew it was an act, a façade. It was strange, surreal. Minhyuk thought he would never see Kihyun being so close to Changkyun again. He never thought Kihyun would allow Changkyun to wrap an arm around his waist and just stay there. Minkyun had approached Minhyuk, asking him if Changkyun and Kihyun were still together, saying that it was awkward to see them together. Minhyuk would not agree more. He was so used to Hoseok and Kihyun. Talking about Hoseok, the older man was so fidgety, throwing glances at Kihyun every chance he could, completely uncomfortable with Changkyun being there. 

Maybe everyone was. 

Kihyun eventually broke away from Changkyun, branching out and having conversations from person to person. Seeing that relieved Minhyuk. Not that Changkyun was a controlling person or anything; it was just that Kihyun was much more looser without his soul mate by his side, much more himself. 

“Have you seen Kihyun?” Minkyun asked Minhyuk at one point of the night.

Minhyuk shrugged, “why do you need him?” He looked at Minkyun and raised a brow, a smirk resting on his face (though a smirk tended to rest on his face quite often when he was drinking).

“I don’t,” Minkyun shook his head, “just asking.” He took a drink from the cup he was holding. “I haven’t seen Hoseok either,” he muttered.

That grabbed Minhyuk’s attention, “what?”

“Haven’t seen either of them,” Minkyun said casually, as if not seeing the implications of his comment. “I was outside a few seconds ago, and they weren’t there.”

“Shit,” Minhyuk whispered and pushed Minkyun out of the way to look for his two, dumb best friends. 

He swore, that if they were doing what he thought they were doing, he would drop kick them both. They were insane, absolutely insane. Jooheon was here. Changkyun was here! Changkyun had asked Minhyuk where the bathroom was a few moments ago, so there was time to look for his two assholes of friends. They were not outside. Minkyun had said so. They were not in the bathroom. Changkyun was there. Nowhere in the kitchen or living room. His office was locked because he did not trust his drunk friends running into his extremely expensive cameras. 

Minhyuk swore, that if they were in his room, he was going to do more than drop kick them.

The living room and kitchen were together. An arched opening divided the living room with another room, which was still empty (filled with a bunch of boxes that still needed to be unpacked), because Minhyuk and Hyunwoo still did not know what to do with it. On that room was the hallway that led to a bedroom and the locked office. Minhyuk better not find them there or in his room. He chugged the last content of his drink and slammed the empty cup on a small table next to the couch before heading over there. Once he crossed the arched opening, he stopped, frozen.

Was that Changkyun?

What was he doing there? He must have gotten confused on where the bathroom was, went the wrong way and got a little woozy because he was drunk. That was why he was leaning against the wall. Minhyuk should direct him the right way, because if he stepped into that hallway, there was a possibility he could find something unpleasant. _Something he deserved to know about_. Maybe Minhyuk should leave him be. Let him walk into that hallway and walk into Kihyun and Hoseok. Let him know. End this whole thing.

 _No_.

Minhyuk could not that. He had a promised to keep and so had Kihyun. Minhyuk would protect Kihyun, and Kihyun had to come straight with Changkyun. Changkyun should not find out like that. By accident. He should be told. This was the worst way to reveal something as big as that.

“Wow, what are you doing here? The bathroom is the other way, silly,” Minhyuk tried to sound cheery, like nothing was wrong, but it was hard and he did not know if he sounded convincing. 

Changkyun looked at him, so void of any emotion, but Minhyuk did not have the time to notice. The younger man did not have a chance to answer before Minhyuk grabbed his wrist, bringing him to the living room and guiding him to the bathroom with all the quickness he could. He had to get Changkyun out of there. He had to protect Kihyun and Hoseok. 

Changkyun went the correct way without saying anything and Minhyuk took a sigh of relief before walking back to that hallway. With all that trouble he went through, Minhyuk honestly hoped Hoseok and Kihyun were there. He really wanted to drop kick them or something. 

Lucky for him, yes, they were there. Blatantly in the middle of the damn hallway. Close to each other and touching foreheads. Lost, alone in their own, little world. As if Kihyun’s soul mate was not just a few meters away from them. 

How cute, had they not almost gotten caught. 

Minhyuk walked up to them speedily. Not caring if he burned their world down. “Hey!” He walked right in between them, breaking them apart. A ghost of their first meeting years ago in college. 

Kihyun and Hoseok stayed frozen, as if they did not realise what just happened. Kihyun against the wall and Hoseok standing still in the middle of the hallway. 

“Are you guys crazy?” Minhyuk yelled. He was mad, pissed. 

“What?” Kihyun asked, dazed.

Minhyuk walked close to him. “Changkyun was right outside,” he whispered to him. Kihyun now seemed more alert. “Had I not been there, he could have seen you,” Minhyuk nodded. “Hell, maybe he did. I don’t know.” He looked at Hoseok, who had been paying close attention to him, and back at Kihyun, “you two need to cut it out for the time being, okay?”

Kihyun looked at Hoseok and gulped. He nodded, “okay…” 

Minhyuk shook his head, in disbelief, “you fucking crazy bastards, honestly… can’t even be apart for one night.” He laughed, again, in disbelief. He wrapped one arm around Kihyun’s shoulder and the other around Hoseok’s, “you two are to be apart for the rest of the night, got it? Don’t get into any trouble.” Both Hoseok and Kihyun nodded, and Minhyuk prayed to every god that they would keep that promise.

And they did. 

Changkyun and Kihyun left sometime later as it was already late with no further incidents happening. Minhyuk almost wanted to applause the effort. A few minutes after the two soul mates left, Hoseok excused himself to Minhyuk’s guest room, saying he was exhausted and too drunk to drive, and Jooheon left, saying that he had somewhere to be early the next morning (and it was already past midnight. Poor Jooheon). Everyone left settled on the couches in the living room. Small conversations were being held all around, but one overpowered the rest. 

“It’s so strange,” Minhyuk overheard Minkyun conversing with Seokwon and Yoonho. “Isn’t it? Watching Kihyun leave with Changkyun?” 

“What’s so strange about it?” Minhyuk asked loudly, basically shutting every other conversation down. 

“That’s the thing,” Minkyun looked at Minhyuk, “I don’t know. It’s just strange.”

Everyone stayed quiet for a few seconds. “I think,” Gunhee started, “that we’re so used to Hoseok and Kihyun, that we forget who the real soul mates are.”

“True,” Seokwon nodded, looking down. “You know,” he looked back up, pointing at Minhyuk, “when I first met you guys, I swore Hoseok and Kihyun were soul mates.” 

“Yes!” Gunhee pointed at Seokwon, “holy shit, yes! I was so confused when they said they didn’t have Sight back then, like, I thought they were soul mates.”

“I know. It’s crazy!” Seokwon agreed. 

Kwangji scoffed, “You should've seen Hoseok and Minhyuk before Kihyun ever entered the picture. I thought they were lying when they said they weren’t soulmates.”

“Yo,” Seokwon pointed at Minhyuk, “I heard you and Hoseok were the definition of sexual tension.” 

Minhyuk shook his head, “there was nothing tenseful about us, but we aren’t soulmates.”

“Obviously not anymore,” Kwangji rolled his eyes, “now it’s Kihyun and Hoseok.”

“You guys have truly reached a full circle,” Yoonho commented. 

“The hell you mean?” Minhyuk asked as he took a sip of his alcohol cup. 

Yonhoo raised an eyebrow, “You and Hoseok, Hoseok and Kihyun, you and Kihyun; come on now, Minhyuk. You guys are a triangle.”

“I thought we were a circle,” Minhyuk said.

“That, too,” Yoonho nodded, raising his cup.

“Honestly, I refuse to believe you were ever just friends with either Kihyun and/ or Wonho,” Seokwon shook his head.

“Oh, my goodness, here we go again,” do not even get Minhyuk started. 

“Oh boy,” Hyunwoo muttered next to Minhyuk, “I just love listening to my soul mate’s past love life.” Very sarcastic, but Minhyuk paid him no mind. 

“We were just friends,” Minhyuk clapped with every word. “Very, very close friends.”

Seokwon nodded and scoffed, “sure, you guys were.”

“We never had sex! I never crossed that line with them!” Minhyuk explained, yelled, because he knew they were going to accuse him of it. They always did. This was the upteenth time he has had to explain this, and it will not be the last. Minhyuk knew it. 

“You can’t deny you were tempted to,” Yoonho counteracted. Minhyuk shrugged, because yes, he could not deny. There had been many times when he almost crossed the line with Hoseok, but something, thankfully, always stopped them (If Kihyun was here, he would talk about all the times he had caught Minhyuk and Hoseok close to doing it and how many times he had wished to drench his eyes in Holy Water because of it). Kihyun, Minhyuk was never tempted. The younger man was just fun to kiss, fun to caress. Kihyun knew well how to play someone. He easily played along with Minhyuk's game, and that was what made him so fun for younger Minhyuk. He had another person in the same playing field. Minhyuk will always remember the moments he just kissed Kihyun caringly and lazily while resting his hands on Kihyun's back pockets, and Kihyun just doing what he always did with his hands (something Hoseok and Minhyuk used to endlessly talk about back then), gently passing them on each side of Minhyuk's face. “Honestly, I’m very surprised you never resorted to polyamory.” Alcohol really made everyone honest. Minhyuk doubted that Yoonho would have never said that had he been sober.

And Minhyuk would have gone on the defensive had he been sober. He never labeled his relationships with Kihyun and Hoseok as anything other than friendship with a little spice on the side. It was all for fun and meant nothing. On the same party, he could make out with Kihyun first and ten minutes later make out with Hoseok, and it would mean nothing. 

Minhyuk leaned against Hyunwoo, “there’s no reason to.” He looked up at Hyunwoo. Once Minhyuk met Hoseok, all his little extra activities with Hoseok and Kihyun stopped, and Hoseok and Kihyun never minded, never questioned, never cared, because again, it never mattered. “Why would I resort to that when I have such an amazing soul mate?” 

Hyunwoo looked down at him and smiled, “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Minhyuk smiled back, and they both shared a quick kiss.

“You two are disgusting,” Seokwon commented.

“Yes,” Yoonho nodded, “please don’t be Sightful in front of all of us Sightless. It’s insulting.” Minhyuk tuck his tongue out at them. Everyone laughed, finding pleasure in a small conversation like this. “But yeah, back to Kihyun and Changkyun. I do admit that it is strange seeing them together,” Yoonho changed the subject back. 

Seokwon nodded, “We’re not used to Changkyun, and it’s not like we can get used to him. Kihyun rarely brings him anywhere! It’s not like you and Hyunwoo,” he looked at Minhyuk, “you took him everywhere. He became our friend so easily. Changkyun, on the other hand…” Seokwon sighed, “I mean, I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but like…” He bit his bottom lip, “Kihyun is so happy with Hoseok and visa versa, and that’s so important, and sure, maybe it’s wrong, but just how wrong can it be when it’s making two people, who are so important, happy?”

Minhyuk pursed his lips together before he blurted out what he had to say. Yes, it was still wrong, still harmful, but the fact that Hoseok and Kihyun were so important to all of them made it so hard to say anything against their affair. “Wow…” Gunhee nodded, “thanks for putting that into words, bro.”

“You’re welcome,” Seokwon winked at Gunhee, “we’re all part of the protection squad. Not just you, Minhyuk. Remember that.” Seokwon looked at Minhyuk seriously, and Minhyuk sighed, because though it was true, he forgot often. 

 

A few days later, Minhyuk and Hyunwoo were relaxing on the couch watching television when they heard the front gate to their home open. “What the heck?” Hyunwoo muttered as he looked at the front. “Are we expecting any visitors?”

Minhyuk shook his head, “not that I remember.”

Both of them stood up. “Right…” Hyunwoo nodded, “they would not have a key anyways. I remember locking that door this morning.”

“Well,” Minhyuk looked away and scratched the back of his neck. 

Hyunwoo looked at him with a raised brow, “who did you give the keys to?”

“Who do you think?” Minhyuk asked, coyly, still not looking at Hyunwoo. 

Hyunwoo sighed, “why am I not surprised?” 

Minhyuk finally looked at Hyunwoo and walked to him, planting a kiss on the side of his mouth, “because you know me well enough to know that I would totally give the keys to Kihyun and Hoseok.”

“Whatever,” Hyunwoo gave him a quick kiss back. “Go ask what they want if it’s really one of them,” Hyunwoo said while caressing Minhyuk’s cheek

“Of course,” Minhyuk nodded. 

Hyunwoo walked away, maybe to the office, and Minhyuk headed towards the door. “If it's not, hit them with a frying pan!” Hyunwoo yelled from the office.

“I will!” Minhyuk yelled back and, without bothering to get the frying pan, opened his front door. He knew it had to be one of his best friends. 

And lo and behold, slowly closing the front gate of the house was Kihyun. 

Minhyuk stepped out to the front porch and closed the door behind him, crossing his arms, a smile residing on his face. Kihyun turned to start walking to the porch and noticed that Minhyuk was already there. Minhyuk’s smile turned into a grin. He started walking down the steps of his porch and towards Kihyun, “Kihyun, what brings my friend to make such an unexpected visit?” 

“It was a split second decision,” Kihyun explained, serious-faced. He was not sharing the same cheeriness that Minhyuk had, “but I really needed to talk to you.”

Minhyuk’s smile fell. He nodded, “alright. Here, let’s sit on the steps. The day is nice today.” They both proceeded to sit on the steps of the porch and stare at the semi cloudy sky. “What did you need to talk to me about?” Minhyuk asked after a few minutes.

Kihyun sighed and dragged his feet towards his body and wrapped his arms around them, resting his head on his knees. He stayed in that position for a few seconds before relaxing and stretching his feet again, “he knows. I think he knows.”

“Who?” Minhyuk asked, almost stupidly. 

“Changkyun,” Kihyun frowned and looked down, “I think he knows. He knows I’m-” He could not finish that sentence, biting his bottom lip.

Minhyuk did not need him to finish the sentence. He understood. “Oh…” Minhyuk looked down, too. He looked at Kihyun a few seconds later, “how do you know?” 

“He’s different. He knows something,” Kihyun looked at Minhyuk, “do you think he possibly saw me with Hoseok at your party?”

Minhyuk frowned and looked away, “it’s possible. Very.”

“Tch,” Kihyun ran a hand through his hair and groaned, “dammit!” 

Minhyuk stayed with the same facial expression. It was a hard to feel pity for things like these. “I told you it was bound to happen, that you should’ve told Changkyun before he found out himself.” 

“I know!” Kihyun yelled, looking up, frustrated-- frustrated with everything. “I know,” he repeated with a lower voice after he took a deep breath to calm down. He gripped his hair, “but it’s so hard. It’s so hard to tell him.”

Minhyuk could not relate. He could not understand what made it so hard to speak to Changkyun about something like this, especially when Kihyun seemed so set on being with Hoseok. “What? What is making it so hard?”

“I don’t want to hurt Changkyun. I don’t want to break his heart and cast him aside,” Kihyun said, “but I also don’t want Hoseok to feel like the other guy, yet breaking Changkyun’s heart, casting him aside… it makes me feel like… it makes me feel like…” He sighed, not being able to finish that last sentence after two attempts. 

“It makes you feel like what, Kihyun?” Minhyuk tried to help.

Kihyun looked at Minhyuk. His lips thin, face serious, eyes pleading. “It makes me feel like Hyungwon.” Minhyuk blinked, eyes wide. 

_Oh…_

That would make sense. No one wanted to be like Hyungwon. Hyungwon was a selfish asshole that only cared for himself. He played Hoseok and then left him in the dust abandoned. He chose fame and glory over someone that could have made him just as happy in the long run if not more. Being compared to Hyungwon was the greatest insult of all. 

Chae Hyungwon was Hoseok’s soul mate. They had met when Hoseok had an internship with an entertainment company. Hoseok was passing coffees around the staff working on the photo shoot of a beautiful model. The last coffee was for the model himself, and Hoseok had dared to look into the model's eyes while walking over to give him the coffee. He ended up giving him Sight. The coffee forgotten on the ground. 

Hoseok had been heart-eyed, completely, and Minhyuk and Kihyun had been happy for him. It was their duty. A new phase of their lives was occurring. Hoseok would not stop talking about Hyungwon. Hyungwon had been calm, charming, with a funny and ridiculous side. Minhyuk and Kihyun had met him once or twice, but he never left a strong impression on them, so those meetings had faded away from their memory. 

What did not fade from memory, though, was the day Hyungwon left Hoseok. They were to all meet in a bar to hang out, and Minhyuk and Kihyun were very surprised when Hoseok showed up without Hyungwon. Nonchalantly, he had said that Hyungwon wished to not be with him, that he wanted to focus on his career without anyone dragging him back, as if Hoseok would ever drag him back. Nonchalant-ness never worked with Hoseok, and his two best friends saw right through him, but Hoseok refused to admit how much affected him. 

It was not until late at night, in the apartment Minhyuk and Hoseok used to share, that Minhyuk saw the true extent of the hurt Hoseok felt. Many were the night Minhyuk spent kneeling on Hoseok’s bed, hugging him, holding him together, trying to kiss his tears away with no avail. Hoseok crying, crying, crying, bawling. No words can describe the anger Minhyuk felt for Hyungwon since those days. Since those days, Minhyuk had sworn, promised, to protect Hoseok, to protect his friends, to protect Kihyun, who never knew the extent of how hurt Hoseok was, to never leave them to suffer alone.

Minhyuk understood why Kihyun was not saying anything Changkyun, and yet, “but if he knows, aren’t you hurting him by staying quiet?” 

Kihyun never answered that question. The answer was already known. Kihyun decided to avoid it instead. “Well… there’s still a possibility that he doesn’t know,” Kihyun looked at Minhyuk, with eyes wide, desperate from affirmation of the claim. “Maybe something is going on at work or with his family or something, and maybe that is why he is acting so weird.”

Minhyuk stayed quiet, lips thin. He was growing frustrated, “Kihyun, stop lying to yourself.”

“What?” Kihyun narrowed his eyes. 

“If he knows, just tell him already!” Minhyuk yelled. “You’ve been holding this back for too long! It’s painful, and it’s not right!”

“Not right…” Kihyun scoffed and looked away from Minhyuk. “I don’t think you should be the one lecturing me over what’s right and what’s wrong.” Minhyuk raised a brow. “Always flirting with everything that moves,” he heard Kihyun mutter under his breath.

“At least I don’t fuck them!” Minhyuk growled, teeth clenched together. Kihyun turned to him in shock, as if he had been caught red handed. He must have forgotten that conversation he had with Minhyuk early in the morning months ago, or maybe he thought that Minhyuk did not remember. Minhyuk remembered it quite well. He was just never sure if it really happened. Kihyun’s face now proved that it indeed happened. “And I do it as a joke, knowing that Hyunwoo is okay with it,” Minhyuk continued. “Okay, so maybe once I made out with someone,” he admitted, bobbing his head from side to side, “but I immediately told Hyunwoo afterwards and we worked it out and moved on. You, on the other hand, are avoiding any sort of confrontation with Changkyun, and that could be destroying him!”

Kihyun also never answered to that rant. 

Later that day, hours after Kihyun had upped and left, Hyungwon still lingered in Minhyuk’s mind. No happy thoughts came with Hyungwon in mind, so the day was rather unproductive for him, and Minhyuk was left watching a stupid interview of Hyungwon on the television. 

Minhyuk sat on the couch with his legs up and his arms crossed, pouting like a child who was just scolded by his parents. In the interview, Hyungwon was sitting in front of a giant promotion poster of one brand or another. The female interviewer sitting across from him, and crowd of fans sitting on the floor in front of him. Hyungwon’s answers to the questions were smooth, charming their way to the hearts of the interviewer and the fans, leaving them flustered messes and Minhyuk scolding. “How disgusting,” he muttered in disdain. 

Eventually, they got to the questions of soul mates, because they must always ask those questions to idols. “It is unfortunate that I am yet with the opportunity to meet who my soulmate is. However, it is not too unfortunate, but if anything, I wish that all of you would be my soul mate,” Hyungwon said as he motioned to his fans, leaving them awing and fawning.

“Bullshit!” Minhyuk yelled from across the television.

Hyungwon sighed and looked up dreamily, “I can’t wait for the day where I actually know I am giving all of you red roses.” 

Again, the fans were a mess. Minhyuk could not believe it. They were all brainwashed suckers. Hyungwon did not deserve their devotion. He was lying to all of them. 

Minhyuk spent so much time focusing on muttering curses at Hyungwon that he did not realise that Hyunwoo had left the office and entered the living room. 

“If you don’t like him that much, don’t watch him,” Hyunwoo said, standing behind the couch. 

“No,” Minhyuk shook his head, “he deserves to be cursed. I wish they never commission me to photograph him. Actually, yes, I wish they would, so I can make him look like the piece of shit he is.”

Hyunwoo sighed and shook his head, resting his elbows on the back of the couch. He stayed quiet for a while, listening to Minhyuk curse more than he does in a month. “Hmm… what would happen if Hyungwon came back to Hoseok right now?” Hyunwoo suddenly asked. 

Minhyuk grabbed the remote of the television and paused the interview, “what?” He looked at Hyunwoo.

“Wait, that was a recording?” Hyunwoo asked and straightened up.

“What do you mean if he comes back?” Minhyuk ignored Hyunwoo’s question.

“You have a recording of an interview of Hyungwon? Why the heck?” Hyunwoo looked at Minhyuk.

“That asshole should never show his face around us ever again,’’ Minhyuk growled. 

“That’s not healthy, Minhyuk. We need to talk about this,” Hyunwoo commented.

“I don’t fucking care,” Minhyuk shook his head. “Why in the world did you ask what would happen if Hyungwon came back? I’ll drop kick him. That’s what would happen.”

“Well, would you ever think that Hoseok would take him back?” Hyunwoo asked. 

“Hoseok would be damned to take him back,” Minhyuk asked and turned back to look at the video, which was paused at a part where it was zoomed into Hyungwon’s face. “Hoseok would never take him back,” Minhyuk muttered, “he’s with Kihyun.”

“Yes,” Hyunwoo nodded, “but they are not soulmates. Hyungwon and Hoseok are.”

“That doesn’t fucking matter in their case,” Minhyuk spat out. 

It was quiet for a few seconds. “You do know I don’t agree with their relationship,” Hyunwoo said.

Minhyuk took a deep breath to calm down, “I know…” He looked at Hyunwoo again, “which is why I’m glad that you don’t comment on it at all.” Hyunwoo was very traditionalist when it came to soulmates. Minhyuk had to stop him from reprimanding Kihyun and Hoseok when he found out they had a relationship behind their soulmates’ backs. Minhyuk was set on supporting his friends not matter what, so in the end, knowing that he could not compete with Minhyuk’s stubbornness, Hyunwoo promised to just look the other way whenever Kihyun and Hoseok were together. 

“Of course,” Hyunwoo ruffled Minhyuk’s hair, “I will still stay by my soulmate’s side, even if we disagree, always.” Minhyuk smiled gratefully, and Hyunwoo leaned down to kiss him. “I can’t really say I’m a fan of this guy either,” Hyunwoo said once he broke the kiss. 

“Is that so?” Minhyuk asked, half dazed from the kiss.

“Yes,” Hyunwoo nodded, “why would I like someone that made my soulmate so weary of me when we first met.”

Minhyuk chuckled, because he remembered that. Hyungwon had completely ruined his perception of soulmates. He made Minhyuk realise that soulmates were not everything people made them out to be. Minhyuk came to believe that his soulmate could easily break his heart like Hyungwon broke Hoseok’s, so when he found Hyunwoo, he was scared to be close to the older man in fear of what happened to his friend. Hyunwoo, luckily, persevered, determined to have a relationship with Minhyuk, and Minhyuk was grateful. He was a changed person because of Hyunwoo. 

Minhyuk guessed that soulmates were bound to change because of each other. For the better or for the worse. If anything, Hyungwon changed Hoseok for the worst, and Minhyuk would gladly, without any hesitation, support Hoseok and Kihyun’s relationship if it meant that they were helping each other grow. Even if other people were unfortunately hurt because of it. 

 

Minhyuk remembered an incident (if it could even be called an incident. It really was just an extremely funny story that just showed how close the three of them were and that would be told in every reunion for the rest of eternity) that happened a few weeks after the talk Kihyun and Minhyuk had. Minhyuk had invited everyone to his house to probably celebrate some stupid thing not worth celebrating or something Minhyuk made up. Unimportant detail. Kihyun and Hoseok had spent the night on the guest room since apparently Hyunwoo would not let Hoseok drive himself or Kihyun home. It harmed no one. Kihyun and/ or Hoseok stayed over all the time after all. 

However this time, even while Minhyuk was battling the hungover with huge amounts of coffee, he was observing Hoseok and Kihyun’s interactions with each other. Sweet smiles towards each other, small caresses, soft eyes accompanied by soft words, lost in their own little world, completely unaware of a grumpy Minhyuk narrowing his eyes at them, wondering how the hell they could be so cheerful in the morning. They should be hungover, like every-freaking-one else, especially if they were drunk enough that Hyunwoo would not let them drive away. What is the world could have made them so happy?

Wait-

It could not be.

Those crazy bastards.

Minhyuk slammed his mug of coffee on the kitchen counter, bringing everyone’s attention to him. “Wait a minute,” he yelled and pointed at his two best friends, “did you two have sex?!” He was not even ashamed of asking, but his friends must have been ashamed of answering, because Kihyun’s whole face turned red and Hoseok’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. Minhyuk gasped, “in my house?! You crazy bastards! I told you guys you could feel at home here, but this is just too much.” He laughed, because he was not really mad or disgusted; he was just surprised that this had actually happen. “Oh, those poor bed sheets, go!” Minhyuk pointed in the direction of the bedrooms, “bring them to the laundry room, because I am sure not cleaning after you. Since you can feel at home here, make sure you clean like you’re at home.” Kihyun and Hoseok stayed frozen, not believing what they were hearing. Minhyuk pointed in the direction of the bedrooms again, “go!” This time Hoseok and Kihyun followed. They, too, were trying to hide their laughter. 

Minhyuk sighed and grabbed his mug again, drinking the last bits of it. He went to the coffee maker and poured himself some more. 

Hyunwoo had been cooking breakfast for the four of them. He sighed and shook his head after Hoseok and Kihyun left, “they really did take our house, your house too far.” 

Minhyuk snorted, “those are my friends. I’m just surprised I heard nothing. Hoseok isn’t the quietest person. I must have been knocked out.” He shook his head. He remembered the days Hoseok and him used to live together. Hoseok would bring home people late at night, and Minhyuk would be awoken by all the noise. He would always end up knocking on the wall of his bedroom (since their bedrooms were only separated by a thin wall) or knocking on the bedroom door. It was easy to say that Minhyuk ruined a lot of Hoseok’s encounters, and Hoseok, as pay back, ruined a lot of Minhyuk’s. Good times, good times. 

“That I didn’t need to know,” Hyunwoo commented, and Minhyuk laughed again, his hangover starting to fade away. 

To get to the laundry room, Kihyun and Hoseok had to pass through the living room-kitchen. It was so amusing to Minhyuk watching them with all the bed sheets, playfully bickering. His friends really were something else, but Minhyuk would not have it any other way. They were so special to him, so when they returned from the laundry room, Minhyuk put down his mug and approached them. He gave them both a hug at the same time. 

“I love you guys,” Minhyuk said, voice muffled between their shoulders. 

Hoseok and Kihyun had stiffened at first but then hugged him back. “We love you, too,” Kihyun said, and Hoseok agreed. 

The three of them were really a special group of friends. Probably unlike any other in the world. They supported each other through thick and thin, even if they were considered to be wrong by everyone else. They depended on each other more than on anyone else. If friends could be soul mates, they definitely were. They advised each other and, through support of each other, were able to get things done. 

 

“I’m going to tell him,” Kihyun told Minhyuk. 

Minhyuk looked up, surprised, “Changkyun?” It was just Kihyun and him on the couch of the living room. Hoseok had left a while ago, and Hyunwoo was working from his home office.

Kihyun nodded, “yes, I can’t keep this up.” He looked up at Minhyuk, glassy-eyed, “I love Hoseok so much, and I want to be with him. Just him. I don’t care what society says anymore. I don’t care if they judge for being with someone else. If Hoseok doesn’t care, then I shouldn’t either. I know I’m hurting Changkyun in the process, but in the long run, I…” he took a deep breath, “I think it’s going to be for the better.” 

Minhyuk stayed quiet through the whole mini speech. After Kihyun finished, Minhyuk smiled and scooted closer to Kihyun. He ruffled his young friend’s hair, “that’s my Kihyunnie. You’re doing the right thing.” Kihyun hated having his hair ruffled, but he accepted it this time, smiling, because even if the world was going to be against him, he knew Minhyuk was always going to be by his side. They stayed quiet for a seconds, and then Minhyuk asked, “You’re… in love with Hoseok, huh?”

Kihyun nodded, “very. So, so much. It’s hard for me to even believe. That’s why I need to do this.”

Minhyuk nodded. He was surprised. Honestly, suprised. If he were to come clean, he thought Kihyun and Hoseok’s relationship was one of carnal pleasure. All three of them were always very carnal with each other, so it would not be a surprise if that was what Hoseok and Kihyun had been doing. Romantic feelings, however. Love. Minhyuk did not see it coming. He was one of those people who thought it hard to be to be in love with anyone but their soul mate. Yet here came Kihyun and Hoseok ruining his ideology once again. 

Earlier today, Minhyuk had overheard them on the couch. He had had to look for something in his room, and when he came back, he had heard Kihyun and Hoseok talking. Their heads together, shoulders touching, probably holding hands. Minhyuk was facing their backs.

“I wish we were soulmates,” Hoseok said to Kihyun.

Kihyun looked at Hoseok with a soft smile before nodding and kissing him. “That would surely make things easier, wouldn't it?” He muttered after breaking the kiss.

Minhyuk was not mad. He could never be mad at his friends. He could believe it. That they were in love. As impossible as it should sound, because it was Destiny who determined who was to fall in love with who, yet here were Kihyun and Hoseok, deciding that they were going to love each other, even if they were not destined for each other.

Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe the universe, Destiny, were fallible. It was the only way to explain the love Hoseok and Kihyun felt. Minhyuk had been lied to and Destiny did not have the final word. 

Minhyuk looked at Kihyun’s beautiful face with a tiny smile resting on his lips. “Wow,” he shook his head. 

Kihyun looked at him and raised an eyebrow, “what?”

Minhyuk grabbed Kihyun’s hand and kissed it, “you truly are amazing.” 

The look on Kihyun’s face told Minhyuk that he did not know what Minhyuk was talking about, but he did not need to understand. 

Kihyun was amazing.

Kihyun; who so boldly broke Minhyuk and Hoseok apart, interrupting their make out session, and openly criticized them on their first meeting; who surprised Minhyuk by proving himself to not be the dainty flower he looked like and boldly slamming Minhyuk against the wall, smirking, before kissing him that one Friday night after midterms; who said he hated to break any laws every time Hoseok and Minhyuk wanted to so something illegal; was now boldly going against the law that basically defined the whole human race.

It was not everyday that people were openly going to defy Destiny, who so boldly were going to claim that there had been a mistake.

And that was truly amazing. 

Minhyuk considered himself lucky to be friends with such people.

**Author's Note:**

> And as we know from Cursed by Destiny, Kihyun still hasn't said crap about his relationship with Hoseok, sigh.. Changki was so prominent in the other story, but here it was barely mentioned. Hmmmm...  
> Okay, so my main reason of writing this story was not obviously to give a more satisfactory to the original fic, but it was to portray Minhyuk's relationship with Kihyun and Hoseok, which was not something I was not able to do when I was writing in Changkyun's point of view. I also wanted to give reason on why Minhyuk was protecting Kihyun and why Kihyun was still lying to Changkyun.  
> At first I was planning on writing this story similar to the way I wrote CBDMBTU, but then I realized that it would not fit the tone and mood of this story and Minhyuk's character, so instead, it was written scene by scene, which made the story so much longer and took much longer to write.  
> Now, I was some fun questions I am willing to ask anyone who think it would be fun! Just write that you would like to in the comment section!  
> I hope y'all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! It's so long, but it has everything I wanted to add to CBDMBTU and what I've always wanted to write (pocky games, friends with benefit, etc). I do apologize for any spelling errors! I don't have a beta. I hope I did a good job with Showhyuk. I don't really ship it, but I wanted to write it for this story, so I hope I did well. Also, the Kihohyuk bromance... that was some strong crap lol.  
> I'll see you all in the comments since I shall answer every single one I see and in my next Monsta X story, which will most likely be a Kiho! Bye-bye!!


End file.
